PEANUTS: The Next ChapterEpisode 9: DID-One Christmas Wish
by HPDrummerman
Summary: Charlie Brown and Snoopy are invited to spend Christmas with Frieda and her family at a fancy cottage in the mountains. Also Thibault returns home from military school for the holidays. Mamba confronts Violet when she says derogatory remarks about Python. And Rerun makes an important Christmas wish.
1. Chapter 1

Episode 9: Descent Into Darkness-One Christmas Wish

 **CHAPTER 1: THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS**

 _Home for the holidays,  
I believe I've missed each and every face,  
Come on and play my music,  
Let's turn on the love light in the place_

 _It's time I found myself,  
Totally surrounded in your circles  
Whoa, my friends_

 _Please, celebrate me home,  
Give me a number,  
Please, celebrate me home  
Play me one more song,  
That I'll always remember,  
And I can recall,  
Whenever I find myself too all alone,  
I can sing me home._

 _Uneasy highway,  
Traveling where the Westerly winds can fly,  
Somebody tried to tell me,  
But the men forgot to tell me why,_

 _I gotta count on being gone,  
Come on woman, come on daddy,  
Be what you want from me,  
I'm this strong, I'll be weak_

 _Please, celebrate me home,  
Give me a number,  
Please, celebrate me home  
Play me one more song,  
That I'll always remember,  
I can recall,  
Whenever I find myself too all alone,  
I can make believe I've never gone,  
I never know where I belong,  
Sing me home._

 _Please, celebrate me home,  
Give me a number,  
Please, celebrate me home  
Play me one more song,_

 _Celebrate, celebrate  
Celebrate, celebrate  
Celebrate, celebrate  
Celebrate me home_

 _Please, celebrate me home,  
Please, celebrate me home,  
Well I'm finally here,  
But I'm bound to roam,  
Come on celebrate me home  
Well I'm finally here,  
But I'm bound to roam,  
Come on celebrate me home  
Well I'm finally here,  
But I'm bound to roam,  
Come on celebrate me home  
Please, celebrate me home,  
Please, celebrate me home,  
Please, celebrate me home,  
Please, celebrate me home,  
Please, celebrate me home,  
Please, celebrate me home,_

A bus was moving along a highway into Sparkyville one December winter night. It had traveled from a far distance and there were quite a few folks on their way home for Christmas. One passenger was a small boy, dressed in a military suit and matching soldier dress hat. It was Thibault, Peppermint Patty's old baseball teammate. In the months that he had left for military school, a lot had happened in town that he was sure Peppermint Patty would tell him about it. This wasn't the same Thibault that was there before Halloween. Gone was his long, shaggy hair and sideburns replaced with a crew cut that would do Shermy proud. Also gone was the angry, confrontational, chauvinist attitude he once carried. This Thibault was more respectful of others, more open minded to the opposite sex, and no longer carried a chip on his shoulder.

After the bus made it to the station, Thibault got off and gather his belongings. He looked around and started to leave the station. He walked along the neighborhood. He even walked by the remedial school he went to and noticed that there were police guarding the school. That stoked his curiosity. He stopped a boy walking home to find out what was going on.

"Hey kid," he said. "Why are the police guarding the school?"

"You don't know?" said the boy. "About a month ago, some gang broke in and trashed the place. The cops have been patrolling the grounds ever since. They say it may have been a female gang, but they aren't sure."

Thibault couldn't believe it. Even though he didn't particularly care for the school himself, he never would have dreamed of vandalizing it. He kept walking towards his neighborhood. He finally made it to his house and went in. His father wasn't around, but knew he was coming home. Thibault found a note from his father on the dining room table. He read it:

 _Dear son,_

 _Sorry I couldn't be there for your coming home for the Holidays. Had to work late. I will be home tomorrow morning and we can have breakfast and catch up. You can tell me how things are going at Melendez. Welcome home, Thibault. I missed you._

 _Love,_

 _Dad_

 _P.S.: There's a snack for you in the fridge if you're hungry._

Thibault placed the note on the table and went to the refrigerator and saw his father left a sandwich and potato chips with a can of cola for him. He grabbed the meal and went to watch TV as he ate his snack his father left him. He wondered what the next day would bring.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: KEEP ON YOUR TOES**

"Celebrate Me Home" written by Kenny Loggins and Bob James

© Gnossos Music / Milk Money Music


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: GETTING A DOUBLE-CROSS FOR CHRISTMAS**

Mamba and Python were walking in the mall looking for Christmas gifts for their families. They had a lot on their mind besides what to get their parents and siblings. After the meeting with Cobra at the ballfield claiming either Rattler or Anaconda was conspiring with a newly-forming rival group, they were even more vigilant. While both Anaconda and Rattler were still coming to normal meetings, Cobra was having secret meetings with Mamba and Python as well. The biggest question on their mind was…

"Why would one of them try to double-cross us?" asked Mamba.

"I don't know, girl," Python responded. "All I know is that we need to keep a close watch on what they do. Rattler doesn't seem to be the defecting kind, despite her bad temper, but I can't put it past her either. Anaconda's more of a mystery to me. Because she's a mute and virtually emotionless, it's hard to get a beat on how she's feeling. We just got to keep watch and see what happens."

"Cobra said she was going to meet with Black Widow and see if she could get more information on what she knows about the impending plot," said Mamba. "Hopefully we'll have more information then."

"I hope so, too," said a worried Python. "Mamba, I want this Christmas to be very special. I really want to do something nice for my mother. I want to show her that I still love her."

"Well nothing says 'I love you' like a dozen roses," suggested Mamba. "Or you could treat her out to a movie on Christmas."

"How about you? Are you going to spend time with your family?"

"I don't know. While Linus and I made up, we're still not on easy footing. Plus he's been spending most of his time with his new girlfriend Eudora. And as for Rerun, well, I do want to spend some time with him at least. I think he's genuinely concerned about me. Linus and I agreed not to tell him about me being a Serpent, as it may upset him even more than it did Linus."

"I totally understand. My mother thinks that Cobra, Anaconda, and Rattler are simply new friends I made since moving here from Detroit. She has no idea about them being gang members, let alone me being a member myself."

"Well it took some teeth-pulling with Linus, but he agreed not to tell our parents about my joining up, unless I got in serious trouble."

At that moment, they saw Violet and Patty walking up towards them. Python went from calm to pure fury when she saw Violet. This was the girl who made fun of her about her height and the fact she came from inner city Detroit. Mamba, for her part, was cautious. She hadn't really talked to either Violet or Patty since befriending the Serpent Sisters and the Homecoming incident. So she didn't know what to expect.

"Well hello, Lucy," said Violet, with a half-smile. "Long time, no see. What have you been up to?"

"Not much, Violet," said Mamba.

"Who's your new friend?" Violet asked, noticing Python. "She looks familiar."

"You should know, Gray!" snapped Python.

"Ah, yes, now I remember," Violet sneered. "Detroit. Of course! Lucy, I'm actually surprised. You, of all people, hanging out with trash like Detroit here?"

"My name is Margaux Holt," corrected Python, "but YOU can call me Python!"

"Python?!" laughed Violet. "What a stupid name! Why would ANYONE call themselves 'Python'?"

"That's enough, Violet!" warned Mamba.

"You are nothing more than ghetto trash, Margaux, Python, or whatever you call yourself. And by the way, MY dad has a better car than YOUR dad. Oh wait! That's right. You don't know who your dad is, doncha?"

Python's eyes were welling up with tears, but Mamba's was turning red with rage. Even though she abandoned her 'Lucy Van Pelt' moniker, she hadn't abandoned that 'Van Pelt' temper.

"GOOD GRIEF, VIOLET, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" she finally exploded. "OKAY, I KNOW I'M NO SAINT WHEN IT COMES TO TEASING FOLKS, ESPECIALLY AS FAR AS CHARLIE BROWN IS CONCERNED, BUT EVEN I HAVE MY LIMITS! Python is a great girl; far better than MOST folks I know. And before you mention the Homecoming incident, yes, I screwed up royally with Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, but at least I have a conscience that I feel guilt over it! And when the two of them are ready, I will apologize formally and try to make amends. That's what makes us different, Violet Gray. You have no conscience, no respect for others, NO FREAKING SOUL! In spite of all the bad things I've done, I, at least can own up to them. Which is more than I can say for you. YOU always seem to yell at someone like Charlie Brown and then go about your business like it never happened. I may be a fussbudget, a sneak, and even a blockhead myself, but YOU, Violet, YOU. ARE. A. SNOB!"

Everyone was looking at the commotion in the mall. Lucy was out of breath by the time she was done. Python was shocked at what she just witnessed. Even Patty was quiet. Now it was Violet who was welling up with tears. Nobody had stood up to her like that. Nobody had the courage to put her in her place. But if it was going to be anyone, it was Mamba, formerly Lucy Van Pelt.

Before anything else could be said, Violet ran away bawling. Patty went after her, shouting, "VIOLET! WAIT UP!"

After the dust settled, a tearful Python ran up and hugged Mamba. "Thank you so much, Mamba!" she sobbed. "Finally, someone put that little witch in her place!"

"No problem, Python," Mamba replied. "Violet had it coming for eons. As I said, I was no better than her, but at least I can own up to my past mistakes and even admit that I made folks like Charlie Brown miserable."

"Mamba, you are more than my best friend; you are my guardian angel!"

"I wouldn't go that far, Py!" At that moment, Linus and Eudora came walking by.

"Hey Lucy," said Linus. "I just saw Violet running away crying with Patty following behind. What happened?"

"Not much, Linus," she said. "I just finally made her face the fact that she was no better than I was when I messed with Charlie Brown and other folks. Plus I had to defend my bestie here."

"I don't think we've met," said Linus, looking at Python.

"Oh yeah, Linus, this is Python, one of the Serpent Sisters, and one of the nicest girls you'll ever meet. Python, this is my brother, Linus, and his girlfriend, Eudora."

"Finally nice to meet you, Linus," greeted Python.

"Likewise," said Linus.

"And don't even THINK about telling her about the Great Pumpkin, you blockhead!" added Mamba. Everyone started laughing, and the drama from earlier was quickly forgotten.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: FRIEDA'S WINTER WONDERLAND**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: ON MY WAY TO THE WOODS**

At the Brown household, Charlie Brown was packing up some clothes into a suitcase. Meanwhile, Snoopy was also gathering some of his belongings and stuffing them into a big sack. Woodstock watched as he did that. Meanwhile back inside the house, Sally walked into her brother's room.

"Where in the world are you going?" she asked. "I know it's too cold to go to camp."

"Snoopy and I have been invited to spend Christmas with Frieda and her family at their cottage up north," said Charlie Brown.

"Doesn't she have a cat?" Sally asked. "Faron I think its name is."

"Yeah she does," Charlie Brown replied. "But Snoopy agreed to try to get along with Faron and with me and Frieda dating, we will both make sure they hold up to that."

"Okay," said Sally. "I guess I'll spend some time with my Sweet Babboo over Christmas."

"Don't count on it," Charlie Brown muttered under his breath. Sally still didn't know that Linus and Eudora became an item.

"Anyway, with you being gone, big brother…"

"No you cannot have my room, Sally," interrupted Charlie Brown. "I'm only going to be gone for a few days tops. So don't start moving your things in there, don't try selling my stuff on eBay, and don't change the locks. And to make sure you don't do all of that, mom said she would keep an eye on you."

"Oh good grief!" sighed Sally.

Charlie Brown proceeded to check on Snoopy. He saw a huge sack filled with Snoopy's belongings. Charlie Brown just shook his head at the spectacle.

"Good grief, Snoopy!" he said. "We're only going to Frieda's cottage for a few days. You don't need all of that stuff."

Snoopy then proceeded to empty half of the stuff out of the sack. He still had quite a bit left in it. Charlie Brown sighed in disbelief.

"I guess that's a little better," he responded. "It's still a lot of stuff, though." Then they heard a horn honk. Frieda and her parents came to pick them up. Snoopy growled and barked orders at Woodstock to watch over his house while he was gone. Woodstock gave a salute and signaled for his bird friends to help out. They all flew over and marched around the perimeter of Snoopy's house. Charlie Brown rolled his eyes and he and Snoopy went to meet Frieda.

A little while later, the Rich's van travelled along a highway as the snow started falling. Frieda was singing some Christmas carols along the way there. Snoopy even pulled out his Jaw Harp and twanged in rhythm. Charlie Brown and Faron, Frieda's cat, bobbed their heads to the makeshift music. Frieda's parents enjoyed the happy scene, as well. They were proud of their daughter and her singing talent. And they took a liking to Charlie Brown as well. Her father was great friends with Charlie's father and he often cut Mr. Rich's hair at the barbershop. It made for a pleasant trip to the woods.

Once everyone got there, Charlie Brown was amazed at the cottage. It wasn't a typical small house-style cottage; it was more like a mini-deluxe house.

"This is your cottage?!" he asked with amazement.

"Yep, it sure is," said Frieda, with a smile.

"As far as cottages go, this place is a palace!" Charlie Brown said.

"Wait till you see the inside," Frieda responded.

Snoopy grabbed all of his belongings and went towards the backyard. He saw a fire pit, which made him happy. He could cook some breakfast, lunch, and dinner on that fire pit. He set up a tent and grabbed some firewood from a pile under a tarp that kept the wood dry from the snow. Then he placed the wood in the fire pit and started it, and grabbed a stick and started to roast some hot dogs over the fire.

Charlie Brown and Frieda looked at Snoopy's makeshift camp and shook their heads. "I think he'll be all right, hun," said Frieda. "Let's go inside."

Inside the cottage it looked very rustic with polished wood floors and walls. There was a bearskin rug on the floor in the family den by the fireplace. There were three bedrooms. One was for the Rich's, one for Frieda, and one for guests, where Charlie Brown would be. The dining room had a vintage oak table with matching chairs. And the kitchen had a nice country feel to it as well with iron skillets hanging down and a real wood-burning stove. Charlie Brown was in awe.

"My daddy and I sometimes stay here when we go rabbit hunting," said Frieda. "That's why I always try to get Snoopy to love the sport of the hunt."

"This is a spectacular place, Frieda," said Charlie Brown. "I look forward to spending time here."

"You should see it in summer," said Frieda, with a smile. "Just up the path in the backyard there's a lake with a small beach for us. I like to go swimming in that lake during the summer. Go ahead and relax, sweetie. I think we will be having dinner soon."

Charlie Brown sat on the couch in the den and turned on the TV. He thought the cottage was excellent. Outside, Snoopy had already prepared his dinner. In addition to the hot dogs he roasted over the fire, he also had potato chips in a bowl, a mug of root beer, and an ice cream sundae for dessert. Both he and Charlie Brown were going to have fun over Christmas.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: A LITTLE CHRISTMAS EVE CATCHING UP**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: LIFE ON THE FRONTLINE**

Thibault went to Joe's to grab a bite to eat. When he got there, he saw Peppermint Patty and Franco eating their meal. He decided to get his order first and then go catch up with them. Patty ad Franco caught a glimpse of him but didn't know who he was.

"Hey Franco," Patty said to her boyfriend. "Check out that strange kid over there. Does he think he's about to go to war?"

"He actually looks familiar, Patricia," said Franco.

"You know, now that you mention it, he does look familiar." As soon as Thibault got closer to them, Patty and Franco recognized him immediately.

"Thibault, you're back!" exclaimed Patty. "When'd you get into town?"

"Last night," said Thibault. "I'm pretty much home for Christmas. I go back to military school after the New Year."

"Well we're glad to have you back if just for a short time," said Patty.

"Care to join us?" asked Franco.

"Sure, why not?" Thibault sat down and joined Patty and Franco. Marcie and Hans walked in at that moment.

"Hi, sir. Hi, Franco," greeted Marcie.

"Who's new friend?" asked Hans.

"Actually an old friend," Patty replied. "It's Thibault. He's back for the holidays."

"Do I need to rough him up for you, sir?" asked Marcie.

"Relax, Marcie. He's not starting any trouble."

"Actually, I'm glad you're here," said Thibault. "I wanted to apologize to you for how I acted before on the ball field towards you. It was wrong of me to discriminate against you because you're a girl."

Marcie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this the same boy who, years earlier, talked about how she wasn't supposed to be on the ball field and even kicked dirt on her, apologizing to her? And he was actually dressed in his military school uniform and being respectful.

"Well, thank you, Thibault," said Marcie. "That's all I wanted from you. Apology accepted."

"So what are things like at the school?" asked Peppermint Patty.

"Well, for the most part the school is okay," said Thibault. "A lot of the kids are nice, except for one of them and two of his friends. His name is Deidrick and his friends are Leroy and Bones. Deidrick is the worst of the trio, though, because he is the son of the Colonel who runs the school."

"So he's pretty much privileged, eh?" said Patty.

"That would be the mother of all understatements, Patty," Thibault replied. "He's pretty much stuck up and snobby. He'd make my ex Patty's friend Violet look down to earth by comparison."

"Wow, that bad?" asked Marcie.

"Pretty much. Anyway, the rest of us kids have been discussing what to do about the whole Deidrick problem and how to put him in his place without getting in trouble ourselves. We may have to sink to his level to combat the issue head on."

"What exactly does he do to you guys?" Peppermint Patty asked.

"On a good day, he forces one of us to make his bed and shine his shoes. That's the least of what he forces us to do. Then he'll get a kid to do his homework for him, otherwise suffer consequences by a late-night blanket party."

"A late-night blanket party?" asked Marcie.

"He'll have his friends hold each end of a blanket, while he beats a kid with a bar of soap wrapped in a towel. It's very painful. I'm lucky that hasn't happened to me, yet. Or he'll make someone scrub the floor with a toothbrush. And not just some random toothbrush, that kid's own toothbrush!"

"Sounds to me like that kid needs his landscape rearranged," said Patty.

"Well we all agreed that after Christmas break, we'd talked to the major about what Deidrick was doing to us. And if the major wouldn't, or couldn't do anything about him, we'd take matters into our own hands."

"Wow, sounds like you have a bit of trouble on your hands," said Patty.

"Anyway, what's been going on with you guys?" asked Thibault.

"More like what hasn't been going on with us," said Patty. "Well as it turned out, during the Homecoming game a couple of years ago before the one this year, Chuck didn't lose us the game as I originally thought, but it was Lucille pulling the ball away from him. She convinced me that it was a force of habit. But as it turned out, she planned it just to humiliate him in front of a crowd. She somewhat succeeded and I didn't help matters either. But how it was found out that she conspired to humiliate him was during this year's Homecoming dance when video footage shot by the previous Homecoming Queen with help from Marcie here surfaced at the dance of her talking about her scheme with Violet. And even worse, she forced Chuck's own dog to help her as he was the official that year. She told Snoopy to look the other way otherwise she'd hurt him and even give him to a cat who lives next door to Chuck that's pretty vicious. I know firsthand how vicious that cat is, because I was mad at Snoopy about giving me that info on a dog school thinking it was an elite school, if you recall.

"Anyway, after the footage was played, everyone was upset with Lucille, but no people more than Chuck and myself. Chuck especially severed ties with her and hasn't spoken to her since. I was angry because she lied to me about her intentions. But almost everyone had stopped talking to her, except for a few folks. That's when she was recruited by the Serpent Sisters."

"The Serpent Sisters?" said Thibault.

"A female gang in town. Lucille joined up with them as a result of being made a pariah of Sparkyville. They have been doing some crazy mischief around town. And even worse, they destroyed the remedial school you went to before leaving for military school."

"So they were behind that? When I got home, I saw police patrolling the grounds there. A kid told me a gang had trashed the place."

"Yep. And I even suspected them of egging Marcie's house on Halloween. But they denied having anything to do with it. Lucille just recently told me that a leader of a rival gang said it was rogue members of said rival gang. While the Serpents did egg and toilet paper other houses in a different neighborhood, they were never near our neighborhood."

"A lot's been going on since I left, eh?" Thibault replied.

"To say the least," said Marcie. "And Lucille is still in that gang right now."

"Things have been quiet lately, though," added Peppermint Patty. "But we think the Serpents may seek out that rogue set of kids who were behind vandalizing our neighborhood, eventually."

"I'm kind of sorry I missed the excitement," laughed Thibault. And for the rest of the afternoon, Thibault, Patty, Marcie, Franco, and Hans caught up on everything that's happened in town and what Thibault's been up to at the military school.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: MUCH-NEEDED EVIDENCE**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: SOMEONE COMES FORWARD & RERUN'S WISH**

At the Serpent Sisters' compound, Cobra was by herself. It was Christmas Eve, but she wasn't in the Christmas mood. She was busy trying to gather information on the rogue Spider members that trashed Fillmore Street. Just then she heard a knock at the door. She walked up to it.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me, Black Widow! Let me in!" Cobra opened the door for her rival. They've been working together to sort out the mess between them.

"So do you have any more information that I can use, Widow?" asked Cobra.

"Maybe," said Widow. "I talked to a kid in my neighborhood who heard 'rumors' about a new gang starting up called the Lizard Ladies. And they've been recruiting others for this new gang."

"Is that it?"

"Nope. Also they think they one of your girls is the leader, but haven't confirmed anything as of yet."

"Well I told Mamba and Python to stay vigilant and if they had any intel to let me know."

"Probably a smart idea. I actually thought these girls left the Spiders because they wanted out of the gang life, but turns out that they were starting their own gang from the beginning."

"If it's true about this new group, the Lizard Ladies, both of us may be in for some trouble."

"I think so, too. After Christmas, I think we should get our gangs together for a meeting."

"Absolutely. Anyway, I'm about to leave, Widow. If anything else comes up, I'll let you know as well."

"Okay, Cobra. It's about time I started heading back, myself." And the two gang leaders headed out of the Serpents' hideout.

Elsewhere, Rerun was walking with Linus and Eudora. He was sad because he hadn't seen much of Lucy (Mamba) at all. So when the three of them passed a department store, Rerun asked Linus if he could go in and visit Santa. The three of them went inside and Rerun got in line. He suggested that Linus and Eudora walk the store for a while. He wanted to talk to Santa alone. The lovebirds complied and went to look at some of the things in the store. When it was Rerun's turn to talk to Santa, he got up on his lap.

"Well hello, young man," said Santa.

"Hi, Santa," said a sad Rerun.

"My you don't look like you're in the Christmas spirit," Santa noticed.

"That would be an understatement," Rerun replied. "This is why I came to see you, Santa. This is what I want for Christmas. I would like to have my sister back. She hasn't been around much and it seems like she's leading a secret life. All I want is for her to be back in our family."

Santa saw that the boy was serious. He knew Rerun was suffering. He placed a hand on his shoulder and said warmly, "Don't worry, lad. I am sure your sister still loves you very much. And I can guarantee that on Christmas Day, she will be there with you and your family."

That made Rerun feel a little better. He really hoped that Lucy would be back and not hanging out with her new friends as she had been. Afterwards, Rerun thanked Santa and went on his way to look for Linus and Eudora. He spotted them in the book section of the store.

"Did you talk to Santa, Rerun?" asked Linus.

"Yeah, I did," he replied.

"Did you tell him what you wanted for Christmas, dear?" asked Eudora.

"I did tell him. And I hope it comes true."

"If you have faith, anything is possible," said Linus. "Remember that, Rerun, and your wish can and will come true."

"I hope so, Linus," said a hopeful Rerun. And the three of them left for home.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: CHRISTMASTIME IS HERE**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: CHRISTMAS**

 _Christmas time is here_

 _Happiness and cheer_

 _Fun for all that children call_

 _Their favorite time of the year_

 _Snowflakes in the air_

 _Carols everywhere_

 _Olden times and ancient rhymes_

 _Of love and dreams to share_

 _Sleigh bells in the air_

 _Beauty everywhere_

 _Yuletide by the fireside_

 _And joyful memories there_

 _Christmas time is here_

 _We'll be drawing near_

 _Oh, that we could always see_

 _Such spirit through the year_

 _Oh, that we could always see_

 _Such spirit through the year_

At the Rich's cottage, Charlie Brown was asleep in his room when Snoopy woke him from his slumber. He groggily got up as his unusually excited dog was jumping up and down for joy.

"Hey, round-headed kid," Snoopy said through his thoughts, "it's time to get up! It's Christmas!"

"All right, all right," said a groggy Charlie Brown. He slowly got up and went to brush his teeth and wash up. Once he was dressed, he went downstairs and was greeted by Frieda holding a mistletoe up to them. She immediately planted a smooch on him.

"Merry Christmas, sweetie!" she chirped to her boyfriend. He smiled from the kiss and gave her a hug. Snoopy and Faron ran around their owners' feet with excitement. They were ready for breakfast, presents, or both. They went to the tree and started opening their gifts. Charlie Brown's parents gave the Rich's his gifts from them before they left so he could open them there. Frieda handed Charlie Brown his gift which was, surprisingly, a new baseball bat signed by his hero Joe Shlabotnik.

"My daddy met Joe during a business trip and had him sign this baseball bat for you," said Frieda, smiling.

"Thank you so much, Frieda," said a happy Charlie Brown, as he kissed his girlfriend on the cheek. "Here's your gift."

She opened it to reveal a sterling silver necklace complete with a diamond-incrusted heart. "Oh, Charlie Brown!" she squealed with delight. "It's so beautiful! This must've cost you a fortune."

"I made a lot of money by cutting grass during the summer and raking leaves in the fall," he said. "Plus I had some help from my parents with paying for it."

"Oh, thank you so much, honey," Frieda said, now planting another kiss on Charlie Brown.

Then Charlie Brown and Frieda presented Snoopy and Faron their gifts. Faron had gotten a catnip mouse, while Snoopy got a new typewriter to type his next best-selling novel on, which he got to work on immediately. "It was a dark and stormy night," he began typing. The kids laughed knowing it was going to be another "great" epic from Snoopy T. Beagle.

Back in town, Peppermint Patty was finishing picking up the last piece of wrapping paper from the gifts she got from her father when she heard a knock on her door. She went to open it to see that Franco was standing there with a gift.

"Fröhliche Weihnachten, fraulein!" he said cheerfully.

"For me?" said Patty, batting her eyes at her boyfriend. She opened the gift and saw it was a teddy bear dressed in a baseball uniform.

"I know you like baseball, Patricia," Franco said, "so I give you bear dressed as Joe Garagiola!"

"Thank you, sweetheart," said a grateful Patty, giving him a kiss. "Come on in. I got your gift for you inside. Hey dad! Franco's here. Better make him a plate for brunch as well!"

At the Van Pelt's place, Rerun was sitting by himself, looking sad. Mamba and Linus walked in and joined him.

"What's the matter, baby brother?" asked Mamba.

"Lucy!" said Rerun, now happy. "You're here!"

"Of course I'm here, you blockhead!" she said. "Where else would I be on Christmas day?"

"I thought you wanted to be with your new friends," Rerun said looking down.

"Well, as much as I like hanging out with them, nothing can replace Christmas with the family. That even includes my pain-in-the-neck little brothers!"

"We love you too, Lucy," said Linus, smirking.

"So are we just going to sit here, or are we gonna open presents?" Mamba finally asked. And the three siblings got started opening their gifts. Rerun had gotten his wish; for his siblings to be together on Christmas.

At Marcie's house, she and Hans were enjoying each other's company. Hans had gotten her a new fantasy book she was looking for. She immediately started reading it to her boyfriend. They had planned to meet up with Peppermint Patty and Franco later to go to the movies.

Later that day, Linus went to Eudora's house and knocked on the door. Eudora answered it and was happy to see her boyfriend at the door.

"Merry Christmas, Eudora," he greeted.

"Come on in, my love," she said with a smile on her face. Linus had a gift for her and had brought it over for her to open.

"So is Lucy at home today?" she asked.

"Yeah," Linus answered. "I think even the Serpent Sisters take holidays. Rerun was especially happy that she was home."

"I can imagine," said Eudora. "It seems like those two have always been close." Linus agreed.

Sometime later, Peppermint Patty, Franco, Marcie, Hans, Franklin, Melanie, Linus, and Eudora were in line at the movies. As soon as they got their tickets they went to their seats. Peppermint Patty was seated between Franco and Linus. She noticed a couple of kids missing.

"Hey Linus," she began. "Where's Chuck and Frieda?"

"They're at Frieda's parents' cottage up north," he said. "Snoopy went with them, as well."

"That's right," she said, now remembering. "I forgot he said he was going there."

"What are we going to watch, Frankie?" asked Melanie.

"I think it's that new action film," said Franklin.

"Wow," said Melanie. "Is it the one with Stallone? Or the one with Schwarzenegger? Or the one with Statham? Or the…"

"I think it's the one with that new action star, Ray Raymondson," said Marcie.

"RAY RAYMONDSON?!" shouted the kids. They all started laughing at the preposterous name. It had shaped up to be a good Christmas for them.

Around that same time, Mamba and Rerun were watching TV. The doorbell rang and Mamba went to answer it. It was Python.

"Merry Christmas, bestie!" she greeted.

"Same to you, dearie," said Mamba. They gave each other a hug and Mamba invited her in.

"So what are you up to right now?" Python asked.

"Just watching television with the baby brother," Mamba replied. "Linus and Eudora went to the movies with the other kids."

"That's cool," said Python. "I just opened my presents. Didn't have too much gifts. With a single parent household, didn't expect much anyway."

"You want to join us? You already met Linus, but you didn't meet my other brother yet."

"Sure." The girls went into the living room where Rerun was still watching TV.

"Rerun, this is my friend Margaux. This is Rerun."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," said Rerun.

"You can call me Margaux, Rerun," she replied with a smile. Rerun smiled back. All of the sudden, another knock at the door startled the three. Mamba jumped up to see who was there now. She opened it shocked to see a quite angry Sally standing there. She hasn't seen or talked to Sally, outside of being at the bus stop, since the falling out between her and Charlie Brown.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Sally shouted angrily.

"Sally, who are you talking about?" Mamba asked. "Where is who?"

"MY SWEET BABBOO!" she exclaimed. "He was supposed to come over for Christmas and he never showed up! With my brother and his dog away at his girlfriend's cottage, it was just me at home, and I was counting on Linus being there with me!"

"Well, he never said he was going to your house. He's at the movies right now with…"

"So he went to the movies without me, eh?" Sally interrupted. "Well I'll just go down there myself and give him a piece of my mind!"

"Or lack, thereof," Mamba muttered out of earshot of Sally, who by then was storming towards the movie theater.

"Who was that?" asked Python.

"That was Charlie Brown's sister Sally," Mamba replied. "She's got a crush on Linus."

"Does she know that he's with that other girl, Eudora?"

"Nope. And here's the funny part. Eudora and Sally are best friends."

"I see drama up ahead, girl!"

"You ain't lying!" The girls start laughing. Python then asked, "By the way, what in the world's a 'Babboo'?"

"I don't even know. For all I know she made the word up."

Sally, meanwhile made it to the movie theater. She stormed up to the box office. She was determined to confront Linus.

"ONE TICKET TO THE SHOW, PLEASE!" she yelled angrily. The person working the box office told her that the show was sold out.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S SOLD OUT?!" Sally shouted. "I GOT MY BOYFRIEND IN THERE AND I NEED TO SEE HIM!" The worker calmly told her to come back tomorrow.

"BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT OF COMING BACK TOMORROW? I NEED TO BE WITH HIM TONIGHT!" Sally was drawing a crowd around her. The movie manager told her to leave, unless she wanted to be banned from the theater.

Back at the Van Pelt house, Mamba, Python, and Rerun were seated in front of the fireplace. They were enjoying the Christmas night and things were peaceful.

"I wish things were this calm," said Python.

"You and me both," said Mamba.

"Does anyone know any Christmas carols?" asked Rerun.

"I can sing my favorite one," Python volunteered. She started singing the traditional "Silent Night". Mamba was impressed. Python was as talented at singing as Frieda was. Mamba and Rerun joined in with her. It marked the end of a perfect Christmas.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: VIOLET'S APOLOGY AND A MAJOR PLAN**

"Christmas Time Is Here" written by Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson/© Lee Mendelson Film Prod., Inc.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: RIVALS UNITED**

The day after Christmas, Charlie Brown and Snoopy came home from Frieda's family cottage. He would call Frieda later and he wanted to unwind for a bit. Snoopy would do the same. After touching base with Woodstock and learning nothing was out of place in his absence, Snoopy went on top of his doghouse and took a nap. Charlie Brown's relaxation would be cut short by his still-angry sister.

"Well what are you going to do about it?!" Sally stormed, interrupting her brother's rest.

"What am I going to do what?" asked a confused Charlie Brown.

"About my Sweet Babboo?!" she yelled. "He deserted me on Christmas Day. I was all alone by myself!"

"Did he even say he was coming over?" Charlie Brown said.

"Well, no," Sally stammered, "but I shouldn't have to ask him to come over; he should know automatically! Now I want to know if you're going to punch his lights out for me?! Defend the honor of your sister!"

"Okay, first of all, Linus was NEVER inclined to come over to keep you company. Second, you two aren't even dating, despite your delusions of grandeur. Third, he NEVER ONCE said that he WAS coming to see you at any time. And lastly, I am not punching out my best friend for something that he's not even at fault for."

Sally stood for a moment to let that all sink in. Then she just left in a huff, still angry she didn't get her way. Charlie Brown sighed. "She's gone off the deep end, all right," he said to himself.

Later, Mamba and Python were hanging out at Ace's Ice Cream Shop. They were enjoying sundaes. Mamba had a chocolate sundae, while Python had a strawberry one. They were having a good time, until Violet came in. She wasn't with Patty or Shermy, so she came by herself. Python was nervous, Mamba was cautious, but both wondered what she wanted with them now.

"Hey girls," Violet began. "Lucy, could I talk to your friend alone? I promise I won't give her a hard time."

"It's okay," said Python to Mamba. "I'll call you if I need help." Mamba obliged and got up. Before leaving, she said to Violet, "Watch yourself, Gray. That's all I'm gonna say."

"Margaux," she began, "I've always held myself to a higher standard than most kids. I even put down a lot of them; no one more so than Charlie Brown, mainly because he was an easy target. No one ever stood up to me until Lucy did when I saw you two at the mall. She made me realize that I was hurting a lot of people. I had already begun to see what my own abuse of Charlie Brown had done to him, and I do plan on apologizing to him for it, as well. But I wanted to start with you."

"Okay," said a cautious Python.

"I am so sorry for the cruel things I said about you," Violet said, through sobbing. "I knew Charlie Brown almost all of my life, so it was different in his case, but I never even got the chance to know you because of my stupid vanity! I never even gave you a shot before teasing you endlessly. I want you to know, even if you don't forgive me, you won't have anymore troubles from me. I can promise you that."

Python let what she just heard sink in for a moment. Then she looked Violet in the eye and said, "You know something, Gray? I will forgive you. But mind you this doesn't make us friends all of the sudden. You brought a lot of hurt to a lot of people, including myself. But if you are truly sorry for being the selfish, snobbish, self-centered little witch you've been, you need to apologize to those folks as well. And beg for their forgiveness. Not just me, but other like Pig Pen, Linus, and especially Charlie Brown, who you treated worse than even me. Just because you're better-off than they are doesn't mean you're better than them, either. So as I said, I do forgive you for how you made me miserable when I first moved here, but I'm not going to forget, neither. And just so you know, even though you apologized, and even though I have forgiven you, we are NOT friends. We're not even acquaintances. You're you and I'm me. No more; no less. If it's any consolation, though I don't consider you a friend, you can take relief in the fact that I no longer consider you an enemy, either. Now if there's nothing else to talk about, we're done here. But remember what I said. If you are sorry for what you've done in the past, apologize to those other folks you've wronged, too. And with that, I hope you have a nice day."

Violet slumped out of there and left slowly. Mamba rejoined Python and finished the half-melted sundae. "Everything okay, Py?" she asked.

"Yeah," Python replied. "Violet and I are cool." All of the sudden, Rattler burst in quickly and ran towards Mamba and Python.

"Girls," she said, almost out of breath, "Cobra sent me to get you. We have an emergency meeting. We need to leave like an hour ago!"

The three girls left Ace's and headed directly for the hideout. When they got there, Mamba and Python were shocked to see Cobra and Black Widow, the Spiders leader, side by side. Plus members of the Spiders were there as well.

"Uh, what's going on?" asked a confused Python.

"Girls, we know who this new gang is," announced Cobra.

"It's a start-up gang called the Lizard Ladies," added Widow. "And they want to meet with us a week from today."

"So both of our gangs are setting aside our differences and joining forces if this gang means any of us any kind of harm," said Cobra. Mamba and Python were startled by this new revelation. They knew of the rogue gang, but the Serpents and the Spiders on the same page? Could they stand up to this new gang together?

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **NEXT EPISODE, TRAGEDY STRIKES!**


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